Kevin Smith has, once again, found himself in a dispute with the MPAA. The Motion Picture Association of America has branded Smith’s latest film, Yoga Hosers, with an R-rating. This isn’t the director’s first time appealing a rating, but in this instance, the reasoning behind the R-rating — a drawn pair of testicles — is laughable, even by the MPAA’s standards.

Filmmaker Michael Moore wasn’t happy when his newest film, Where to Invade Next, was branded with an R rating. The MPAA was unfair to Moore’s latest, and after attempt to appeal the rating, his request for a PG-13 has been denied.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is officially PG-13. That’s the rating we all expected, but some fans worried Disney would try to make the film a completely kid-friendly picture — something we shouldn’t expect from J.J. Abrams or this franchise. Even the PG installments, like The Empire Strikes Back, would’ve been rated PG-13 today.

Abrams’ sequel is the second Star Wars film to be rated PG-13. After the jump, learn what the Force Awakens’ rating is and isn’t for.

Google Glass is going the way of cell phones, at least in the movie theater. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) announced today that they have officially taken a hardline stance against Google Glass. The reason? Potential piracy, of course. Hit the jump for more details on the movie theater Google Glass ban.

As much as moviegoers, filmmakers and theater owners try and try, the fight against piracy seems to be a losing one. People can take all the precautions in the world but there’s always going to be one person who pirates a movie, uploads it online and then it spreads like wildfire. Now the pirates would let you believe this is their right and what they’re doing doesn’t hurt the bottom line. They believe they’re a small minority. The Motion Picture Association of America would disagree with that and have put out their own infographic to let everyone know just how much content theft hurts the entertainment industry. Check it out after the jump. Read More »

Movie insiders regularly complain that less people are going to the movies, the theatrical experience is shifting to the home and piracy is cutting into box office profits. However, that’s not the story the numbers tell. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, worldwide box office receipts actually rose 8% in 2010 to $31.8 billion dollars. Of course, much of that has to do with rising ticket prices (up $.39 this year) and the sheer number of movies that demand a premium price, but it’s still a staggering number that goes against popular thinking that movie attendance is dying.

Plus, a deeper look at the numbers reveals something quite telling. Eleven percent of the U.S. and Canadian population go to the movies more than once a month and that small percentage accounts for more than half of the tickets sold. So why are we getting movies that cater to a majority of people who don’t go to the movies? Break down the numbers and learn a few other very interesting facts about movie going trends after the jump. Read More »

David Schwimmer’s new film, Trust, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September and was initially rated R by the MPAA. The film chronicles a 14-year old girl’s encounter with an online sexual predator and its aftermath for her and her family. The MPAA rated the film “R” for “disturbing material involving the rape of a teen, language, sexual content, and some violence.” Like the folks behind Blue Valentine, Trust distributor Millennium Entertainment appealed the rating, hoping to get the film a less restrictive rating so it could be seen by teenagers, potentially as a cautionary tale.

We’ve now learned the MPAA has upheld the R rating given to Trust. Hit the jump for some more details behind the decision.Read More »

This week, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar and Adam Quigley approve of how various film critics’ associations chose their top films of the year, discuss the trailers for the most exciting robot fighting movies of 2011, praise Community and True Grit, and get disappointed by The Tourist and The Walking Dead. Special guest Katey Rich joins us from CinemaBlend.

You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us for our next live broadcast on Sunday, December 19 at Slashfilm’s live page at 10 PM EST / 7 PM PST, where we’ll be reviewing Tron Legacy.

A few weeks ago, we learned that Derek Cianfrance’s great film, Blue Valentine, would be receiving an NC-17 rating, a fact which upset me deeply. What put the film over the edge? A lengthy, painfully uncomfortable sequence in which Dean (Ryan Gosling) tries to have sex with Cindy (Michelle Williams) in a hotel room. With their marriage falling apart, Dean is looking for anything that will keep the two of them together. Cindy, however, is not as eager to work things out. It’s a beautiful sequence and one that’s shocking for its seeming verisimilitude. The film’s use of nudity is not salacious or even tantalizing; on the contrary, it depicts sex as a desperate act of last resort.

Understandably, the Weinstein Company swore they’d appeal the ridiculous decision. “We’re going to have to overturn this. This is serious stuff. This could really hurt the movie,” Weinstein said. We hope they succeed, but the Blue Valentine situation is not the only news item that has demonstrated the MPAA’s recent idiocy.

You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next week on Sunday night at 10 PM EST / 7 PM PST at Slashfilm’s live page as we review Robin Hood.